The Story of Icea
by Buckminster Rules 777
Summary: Icea is a young female weasel, beaten by her father because she looks so much like her deceased mother. When she has enough, Icea runs away. Not long after, she falls into the Dino world. After an encounter with Rudy leaves her half blind, she meets Buck and begins the adventure of her life.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I do not own Ice Age. The only characters that are mine are Icea, Raskin, Sapphire, Solifer, Rose, Kaiden, Terra, Jamie, all Six of Icea's kits (later on), all characters from the weasel clan, and Aurora and future kits.**

A long time ago, in the time of the Ice Age, there was an assortment of creatures in existence. Some types are still alive today. Some of those kinds are weasels.

On the Northern tip of the valley is a large meadow. In the spring and summer times, it is full of flowers like lavender and daisies. In the winter, ice coats the place, making beautiful designs on the rocks.

That is where a particular weasel family lives. Raskin, the male of the home, is without a wife. His four children are without a mother. The children's' names, from oldest to youngest, are Icea, Solifer, Rose, and Kaiden. Solifer, Rose, and Kaiden are thriving in the house.

Their mother's absence is the reason that Icea fails to thrive. She looks so much like their mother that Raskin hates her for it. He beats Icea constantly. She has scars lining her body, proof of the abuse. She is miserable in that wretched home.

Each day, as she is forced to reside in that hell that is her life, she grows angrier and angrier. There is no reason that she should have to put up with all the abuse that has been laid before her. Even so, she willingly takes the pain. She fears that, if she doesn't, her siblings may be next.

As her life passes before her very eyes, everything seems hopeless. She isn't sure how she can escape the hellhole. She is afraid to try. Though she is afraid, with each strike against her, her courage begins to rise drastically. Unbeknownst to her, Icea is about to have the adventure of a lifetime. She may even find love along the way. One thing is for sure. She will find the freedom that she always wanted. The freedom that should've been hers from the start. Her life is about to be changed forever.


	2. Chapter 1: Runaway

"You're so much like your pitiful mother! You can't even stand and fight back! You're worthless! Hahahaha!" Father laughs cruelly.

"Dad, please stop!" I wail.

Smack! Father slaps me across my face. Blood trickles down my cheek from a cut that his claws made. I whimper, pressing my paw to my burning cheek. "How'd you like that, you spineless fool! You're just a coward! Grovel before me, useless worm!" Father sneers as he kicks me to the floor.

I press myself as close to the floor as I can get, hoping that I may be able to diffuse his rage. "Dad, I…I promise…I'll do whatever you say…just please…please stop…" I whimper, sniffling through the tears that have begun to fall.

"No, I won't stop! You don't even deserve to live! Why I even kept you around after your mother died is beyond me! You will continue to suffer by my paws! Just give in! Make it easier on yourself!" Father snarls. He continues to beat me for another hour at least.

When that hour is up, he leaves me laying in a pool of my own blood. Where he went is unknown to me. All I can do there is cry my eyes out until there are no more tears left to cry. I then stumble to my paws and make my way towards my room. I've decided. I have had enough of the abuse!

My name is Icea. I am the oldest daughter of Raskin. He has dark brown fur with a white underbelly. His eyes are a piercing blue. I have two younger brothers and a younger sister. My oldest younger sibling, Solifer, inherited dad's fur and eyes. Same with my youngest sibling, Kaiden. Rose inherited mom's fur and eyes, much like me. Our mother, Sapphire, is dead. She disappeared a long time ago during the night. When we woke up the next day, father told us that she was dead. Things have never been the same since.

I have a secret that I've had to endure up to now. Father beats me. That is because I am the oldest one of us that resembles mom. I have her light brown fur and blue eyes. My face is also quite identical. Mom, I remember, had a narrow face. Mine is just as narrow. Dad can't stand to look at me. The worse of it is that he gets drunk a lot. That makes each beating even more painful. I stood up to him only once, when I was younger. It nearly cost me my life, as he nearly beat me to death. I know that I was in a coma for a week, though because of the severity of my injuries, my memory is a bit hazy. So now, I am forced to put up with the pain. That is the only way to avoid death.

Tonight, however, things are about to change. At this current moment, I'm sitting alone in my room. I have just written the note that shall be my new beginning. I've decided to run away. I know I'll be leaving my siblings behind, but I'd be dragging them to danger if they came along. I want nothing more than to keep them safe. The note is mostly so that they don't worry about me. I know that father wouldn't care enough about me. He'd only be angry about losing a valuable punching bag.

I fold the note and place it carefully on my pillow. I sneak into the kitchen and steal some food. I slip out through my window and disappear in the late night shadows.


	3. Chapter 2: Dino World and Buck

I'm running to get as far from home as possible. It's extremely cold out here. I spot a cave in the distance. I begin running across some ice to get to it. Unfortunately, the ice begins to crack. Before I can even scream, I'm falling through it. The fall knocks me out instantly.

When I wake up, I notice that my right front paw is twisted in an unnatural angle. I know that it's broken. I try to move it, only to gasp for breath at the sudden pain. I gaze around me, noticing that I lost my supplies in the fall. I take a closer look at my surroundings. I have fallen into a world full of Dinosaurs. I have landed under the thick foliage of a tree.

A loud roar sounds nearby. The surrounding Dinosaurs flee in terror. I stumble to my paws. I turn my head towards the direction that the roar came from. My heart plummets in horror. A large, stone white Dinosaur is running towards me. I scream and begin running as fast as my legs will carry me.

It isn't fast enough, though. The roar comes again, this one closer than the last. He's close enough that I feel his breath through my fur. I turn my head to see that the Dinosaur has raised a claw. Before I can do anything, the raised claw strikes my right eye and my chest. My eye is yanked out of its socket. I scream as I'm thrown back. I get up and run away. Relentlessly, the large Dinosaur continues to chase me.

Just then, I hear some shouts. A male weasel leaps seemingly out of nowhere. He climbs on top of the Dinosaur and begins riding him.

I don't know what to make of the sight. Suddenly, the weasel jumps off of the Dino's back and takes me by my left arm. Together, we run off towards someplace much safer than this.

After we finally manage to shake the Dinosaur off our tails, we stop beneath a tree. I'm breathing heavily. The pain in my eye, wrist, and chest is growing to an almost unbearable level.

The weasel turns to me. "'ello! Th' name's Buck, short fer Buckminster. Wot's yer name?" He asks.

"My name is Icea," I gasp out. Tears of pain are now flowing from my left eye. A whimper forces itself past my lips. I press my left paw to my right eye in a feeble attempt to stem the pain.

Buck pulls my paw away from my eye. He takes a look, horrified to see nothing there. My eye is gone. Buck strokes my arm. "'ey, don' worry. I'll ge' ya patched up," Buck whispers soothingly in my ears.

Buck first stops the bleeding in my chest. He cleans and dresses the wound. Buck then binds my right paw. Buck takes a wet leaf and begins to clean my eye socket. At that point, I start yowling from the pain. I twist my head sharply and try to bite him. Buck is forced to hold me down to protect himself from my teeth.

When Buck finally ties a leaf patch to my eye, he takes me into his arms. Buck strokes my head fur while I whimper. "I's alright, Icea. Everythin' will be 'kay," Buck tries to soothe me.

"But it hurts…so much!" I wail.

"I kno' 't does…" Buck trails off. I notice his own eye for the first time, considering the pain that I'm in. I realize how much pain my rescuer must have gone through. Before I can say anything, though, I pass out.


	4. Chapter 3: Buck's Story

When I wake up, I see Buck sitting next to me. I think back to our previous conversation. I cast a somewhat guilty look his way. "Buck? I'm…sorry if I offended you earlier…" I mumble my apology.

"'ow would ya 'ave offended me?" Buck is confused, his head tilted in a manner that reveals just how much.

"I was complaining about my pain, but I never realized that you must've gone through the same thing," I continue.

"Oh. Ya don' 'ave anythin' ta be sorry fer. I wasn't offended. Jus' kno' tha' I understand wot yer goin' through," Buck smiles softly.

"Hmmm….Why's my pain somewhat less?" I ask curiously.

"I used some plants from nearby ta dull yer pain," Buck answers.

"Thank you," I smile.

"Yer welcome. Now, Icea, why don' ya ge' some sleep?" Buck suggests.

I nod my head. I close my eye and drift off into a deep sleep.

I wake up a few hours later in excruciating pain. My wounds are killing me (Not literally). I whimper. Buck is nowhere to be seen. "Buck!" I cry out for him.

Buck is by my side in an instant. "Wot's wrong?" He asks.

"The…the pain! It's…it's worse!" Tears stream down my left cheek.

Buck grabs me into his arms. I begin sobbing into his chest. "Hush now, Icea. I'll ge' ya somethin' ta 'elp ease th' pain," Buck smiles comfortingly at me. He grabs a coconut bowl and crushes some herbs in it. He gives them to me. I eat them, gagging slightly from the bitter taste.

Even after eating the herbs, I am still in pain. I can't help the high-pitched whine that escapes my lips.

Buck can see that I need cheering up. "'ow 'bout I tell ya a story," he suggests.

"Okay…" I mumble.

"Do ya wan' th' one 'bout 'ow I lost my eye?" Buck asks.

"Yeah," I answer with a slow nod of my head.

Buck clears his throat, before beginning his story. "The-ah I was, my back against th' wall, no way out. Perched on th' razors edge ah oblivion. Staring at th' eye ah th' great white beast. I was frozen ta th' spot. He raised a claw an' struck my eye. I was flung backwards. As I rose, I realized tha' my eye was gone. I turned tail an' ran fer my life. Th' Dino, who I now call Rudy, chased me. I climbed a tree ta ge' 'way from 'im. I tied a leaf patch 'round my eye. I grabbed a stick ta try ta defend myself. Rudy was comin' closer an' closer. I looked 'round. Rudy opened 'is mouth. As I turned back ta face 'im, Rudy closed 'is mouth 'round me," Buck pauses.

"How did you survive?" I ask, my voice laced with awe.

"'m ge'in' ta tha'! Anyway, before I could be sucked through 'is gullet, I grabbed onta tha' gross pink fleshy thin' tha' dangles in th' back ah th' throat. I hung onta tha' sucker an' swung back an' forth, an' back an' forth, an' back…an' forth, an' back an' forth, 'til finally, I le' go an' I shot right out ah 'is mouth. I may've lost an eye tha' day, bu' I got this!" Buck shows me his knife.

"Wow! Rudy's tooth!" I smile at what Rudy's reaction must've been.

"Now, ge' some sleep. I'll be 'ere when ya wake up," Buck smiles.

"Goodnight, Buck. Let's hope Rudy has nightmares tonight!" We laugh a bit at what I just said. Well…mine is more of an evil laugh that makes Buck laugh even harder. I then close my eye. I'm asleep before too long.


	5. Chapter 4: Apprenticeship

A few weeks later, I'm almost completely healed. My pain has almost gone. When Buck checks my wounds, he is pleased to see them healing well. "Ya look healed enough tha', now, I c'n try ta lead ya back ta th' surface," Buck smiles.

My ears droop. "No, Buck. I can never return. All that awaits me there is never-ending pain. It's all because I'm too weak. I can't fight. I tried once and nearly died." A thought comes to me. "Buck? I hate to ask, but would it be possible for you to teach me to fight, and perhaps, how to survive down here?" I ask.

Buck is surprised by my request. "Ya wan' ta learn 'ow ta survive down 'ere? I take 't ya will be stayin', then. Alright! I'll teach ya!" Buck agrees. He seems almost overly enthusiastic about the idea of me staying down here with him. I don't give it much thought, though.

I smile at Buck. "Thank you!" I wrap my arms around Buck and hug him.

Buck stiffens slightly. It's as if he's never been hugged. "Don' thank me yet, Icea. I 'ave ta teach ya first!" Buck awkwardly pats me on the back.

I pull away from him. "When do we start?" I ask eagerly.

"No' now. Ya need ta rest up an' heal completely. In th' mean time, I'll teach ya 'ow ta make yer own knife," Buck offers.

"Really?" I ask wide-eyed.

"Sure! Then ya will 'ave somethin' ta use in practice!" Buck attempts a wink with his one good eye. He looks kind of funny, though I refrain from laughing. I don't want to hurt his feelings. Buck then leaves the tree.

Buck returns a short while later with two stones and some wood. "Here. Scrape these two stones against each othah ta make th' knife head. I'll fashion th' handle fer ya," Buck hands me the supplies.

We work together to make my very own knife. Shortly after it is completed, Buck has me follow some of his knife tricks. I become tired quickly due to my slightly weakened state. Buck notices my yawn. "Ge' some rest, Icea. We'll continue yer training tomorrow," Buck smiles.

I nod, tuck my knife away, and go to sleep. I know that, when I become fully trained, I will be strong enough to stand up against anything that dares to stand in my way.

A few days after Buck begins my training, he decides that he will take me to a pond full of delicious fish. "Today, 'm gonna teach ya 'ow ta fish. I take 't ya've nevah bin before?" Buck asks.

"No, I haven't," I answer.

"Come on, then!" Buck smiles as he pulls me along.

When we reach the pond, Buck leaps onto a rock. "Watch wot I do," Buck stares intently at the water. Suddenly, Buck strikes downward with his knife. He brings it up with a fair-sized fish stuck on the end. "See, wot ya need ta do is keep yer shadow 'way from th' wa'er an' wait fer th' fish ta come ta ya," Buck explains.

I jump onto the rock next to Buck. I wait there with my knife raised. Just then, a fish comes too close for its comfort. I strike down and spear the fish. I smile at Buck, proud of my lucky start.

"Nice job! Ya caught a bigga fish than I did on my first try! Well done!" Buck praises me. We take our fish to the shore and roast them over the fire. We talk a bit, but most of the time is spent enjoying our fish. We finish our feast and head back to our tree. That night, we fall asleep with full bellies.


	6. Chapter 5: The Accident and Illness

It has been a week since my first fishing lesson. I have become a fairly good fisher. That is why Buck comes to me now. "I think ya could do wi' a bigga challenge. Le's fish in th' River ah Snapping Fish!" Buck suggests. I can see a gleam of excitement in his single eye. He obviously wants some of the action as well.

"Sure! I trust you, so at least I know I won't die or anything," I smile as I follow him.

When we arrive, the river looks deceptively calm. Buck throws a stone in the middle of the river. A fish as big as three large rocks jumps out of the water, snapping at the offending rock. I gasp slightly. Buck notices. "If yer no' ready, I understand. We could always come back ta thi' part a li'l later," Buck offers.

"No! I can do it!" I speak in a voice more confident than how I feel.

Buck hands me a spear, smiling. "Alright. Now, Icea, 'old thi' up. When ya see th' fish, ram thi' inta its mouth."

I hold the spear above the water like Buck told me to. A giant fish swims up, jaws open wide. I ram the spear into its mouth. However, three more fish come out of nowhere. Two of them knock me in the water. I can't escape. I open my mouth to scream, only to swallow water. As my vision begins to grow dark, I hear Buck yowling like a mad weasel. Then, the arms of death close in on me…

I cough and splutter as torrents of water gush from my lungs. I breathe deeply, eager for some fresh air. I see Buck holding me up. "Buck, what happened?" I ask between coughs.

Buck doesn't answer right away. I look up at him to see tears falling from his left eye. "Ya nearly drowned. I thought…I thought ya were gonna die…" Buck sniffles and wipes at his eye, only to have the tears replaced.

I wrap my arms around Buck. I hold him tightly as he begins sobbing. "I'm alright, now. Don't worry. I'm still alive," I try to calm him down. It hardly works. Buck continues to sob, his tears soaking into the fur of my shoulder. I just stroke Buck's back in an effort to give him the comfort he so obviously needs.

After a few minutes, Buck pulls away. He looks at me. Tears are still falling from his eye. "I's my fault, though. I was th' one tha' suggested coming 'ere," Buck's ears droop lower.

"No! It's not your fault! I could've opted out, but I chose not to!" I argue. I wipe Buck's tears away.

Buck doesn't say any more. He picks me up and carries me back to the tree. Along the way, he refuses to meet my gaze. When we make it back to the tree, we spend the rest of the time sleeping.

When I wake up the next morning, I wish immediately that I hadn't. I have a splitting headache and I feel nauseous. I see Buck sleeping a few feet away. I groan. "Buck! Wake up!" I call.

Buck squirms a bit as he wakes up. "Icea, wot's wrong?" He asks.

"I don't feel so good," I moan and shiver slightly.

Buck comes over to me. He feels my forehead and gasps. "Yer burning up!" Buck grabs a leaf soaked in water and places it on my forehead.

"Can…can I have some water?" I ask. Buck feeds the water to me.

"Ge' some rest. Ya'll feel betta afta ya ge' some sleep," Buck tells me.

"Huh...I doubt it..." I groan. I close my eye, hoping to fall asleep. That isn't meant to be, though. My nausea starts getting worse. I bolt upward, one arm wrapped around my stomach. "I…I'm gonna…be sick…" I groan. Buck's eye widens. He helps me turn so that, when I vomit, it won't land on me. My stomach lurches. I hunch over and begin vomiting. Buck rubs my back as I heave and retch, bringing up the contents of my stomach.

When I finish, Buck cleans my face free from the vomit. I blush slightly, embarrassed by vomiting in front of Buck. "I'm…sorry you had to see that…" I mumble.

"Don' be sorry, Icea. 't wasn't yer fault," Buck smiles as he lays a comforting paw on my shoulder. Buck's smile disappears, a frown taking its place. "If anythin', all ah thi' is my fault…" Buck sighs.

"Buck, stop blaming yourself! This isn't your fault! Now, let's just get back to sleep and forget that any of this even happened!" I state.

Buck smiles again and nods his head. "'kay. G'night, Icea," Buck whispers.

"G'night, Buck." I whisper back. I close my eye and fall back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 6: Icea Tells Her Tale

The next day, I am still sick. I'm not as bad off as before, though, due to some herbs that Buck gave me. I don't know what they were, but they worked wonders.

Buck has just left the tree a short while ago. He's out searching for food. I hope he'll be back soon. I hate being alone when I'm sick. I don't have much time to think about that, though. I'm starting to get tired. I close my eye and fall asleep. As I sleep, I dream…

 _I'm near the tree where Buck and I are staying. I'm watching Buck try to catch some fish. I walk over to stand beside him. A sound from behind makes us turn around. Standing there, with a knife in his paw, is father. I'm struck down. Buck tries to defend me. I rise in just enough time to see father stab Buck in the heart. I scream as father turns to me. "Now, I'll do the same to you as I did to your pathetic siblings!" I scream again as his knife meets my flesh…_

I bolt upright from my nest, crying out. I'm gasping for breath, my eye darting wildly around the room. I feel a paw on my shoulder, making me flinch. Buck came back. I barely look at him before throwing my arms around him. I'm sobbing into his chest. Buck wraps his own arms around me, stroking my head as I cry. When I finally stop crying, I pull away. Buck looks at me, worry evident in his single eye. "Wot was yer nightmare 'bout?" He asks.

I shiver slightly. "To tell you my dream, I must first tell you my story. I was born in a meadow in the North part of the valley above the ice. I'm the oldest of four, the first born daughter of Raskin and Sapphire. My mother died a good few years ago, when I was young. I don't really know what happened to her. She just disappeared one night. The next morning, father told us that she was dead. Ever since then, father would beat me. He never touched my siblings. He beat me because I look so much like mom. Just before I fell down here, I have had enough. I ran off, leaving a note for my siblings to find. I had spotted a cave in the distance and thought it'd be a good place to hide out from the cold. I didn't notice how fragile the ice in front of it was until I fell through it," I finish my tale.

Buck's eye is so full of sympathy. "'m…'m sorry…" He trails off. Buck knows there isn't much he can say to soothe my pain.

My ears droop. "I dreamt that father found us both here. I dreamt that he killed you. In my dream, he said that he also killed my siblings. I can't lose you _or_ them! I can't!" More tears fall from my eye.

"Don' worry, Icea. I won' le' 'im 'urt either ah us or yer siblings. I promise," Buck smiles.

"But…how could you stop him? He's…he's strong…" I trail off. I am shaking from fear.

"'e may be strong, bu' so am I. Don' worry, Icea. I'll protect ya an' yer siblings," Buck strokes my forehead. I smile at Buck as I feel my fear dissipate. "Would ya like some food?" Buck asks.

I shake my head. "I don't know if I could keep anything down, yet. I'd rather not take the chance." I lie back on my nest and decide to get some much needed sleep.


	8. Chapter 7: The Valley of Snakes

By the next day, I am well again. I am eager to continue my training. Buck decides to test me to see how well I can dodge. That is why, at this very moment, we are heading towards the Valley of Snakes. I'm going to try my paw at snake dodging.

When we reach the Valley, Buck turns to me. "Thi' is th' Valley of Snakes, whe-ah th' Dino world's most poisonous snakes reside. Now, thi' will be a race ta see 'ow fast we c'n ge' ta th' pond, while dodging all th' snakes thi' valley 'as ta offer. Th' snakes ah th' valley are afraid ah wa'er. They won' go anywhere near 't, so th' pond is safe. Are ya ready?" Buck asks.

"Of course!" I answer with enthusiasm. I'm ready for a challenge.

"Then, le's go!" With those words spoken, we race off into the valley.

I dodge one snake after another as they leap out at me. They may be fast, but I'm faster. Soon enough, I leave them behind. They hiss in frustration as they slither back. I stand by the pond, pleased to have beaten Buck at our little race. After a couple of minutes waiting, I become worried. Buck should've been here by now. Still, I wait anxiously for Buck's return.

A few minutes later, Buck stumbles into sight. I am made even more afraid by his weaker appearance. I can see a tint of pale green in his flesh under his fur. Buck is shivering violently, one arm wrapped tightly around his stomach. And, by Buck's shoulder blade, is a small streak of blood.

As he staggers forward, Buck trips up slightly and lands on his knees. He's breathing heavily. When I first start to approach, Buck hunches over and begins vomiting into the grass. "Buck!" I call out to him since I have no idea if he saw me or not.

Buck raises his head slightly, before lowering it and vomiting some more. I place my paw on Buck's back, stroking his fur as he continues to heave and retch. When Buck finally stops vomiting, I speak. "Buck, what happened? Were you bitten?" I ask, glancing briefly at the blood on his shoulder.

Buck slowly nods his head. "'t was a Red-backed Viper…" He groans with the pain.

"Is there an antidote?" I ask.

"Yes. Th' antidote is made ah Marsh weed, Yarrow, Juniper berries, Feverfew, an' Tansy," Buck explains.

"Here. I'll get you to safety and then I'll get the antidote together," I whisper into Buck's ear.

"Even afta I take th' antidote, I'll be sick an' weak fer a while," Buck continues, groaning as more pain strikes him. I lay Buck in a nearby cave, before heading off in search of the ingredients.

It isn't long before I collect all of the stuff needed for the antidote. I make my way back to the cave. When I get there, I see a puddle of vomit next to him. This poison must really be getting to him if he'd vomit again so soon.

When I kneel beside him, Buck cracks his eye open. It's reddened from the illness. "Icea…'m sorry…tha' I…threw up…'gain…" He gasps.

"Oh, Buck, it's okay. There's no reason to be sorry. You couldn't help it. Now, let's get the antidote inside of you, alright?" I smile soothingly.

Buck closes his eye and nods his consent. I crush the berries and mix the herbs along with them. I feed half of the concoction to Buck. I pour the other half in a syringe and inject that into Buck's arm. He winces from the pain, but otherwise, makes no complaint. Buck opens his eye again. "Thanks, Icea," he rasps.

I smile. "You're welcome." I cover Buck's weakened form with a leaf blanket. Buck clenches his paws into fists, trying to quench the pain. I stroke his forehead, hoping to help him.

Buck can no longer hold his pain back. He begins whimpering, softly at first. His whimpers turn into a drawn out yowl as pain strikes him full force. I stay by his side as Buck starts crying from the pain. I grab him into my arms, shushing his whimpers. "I...I've nevah…felt like thi'…before…I's worse than…my eye…" Buck gives off a high pitched whine.

"I know. I will do what I can to help you feel better, though. I promise," I smile and run a comforting paw over the fur on Buck's head. Buck closes his eye. He's asleep before too long. Hopefully, the next time he wakes up, Buck will be back to his old self.


	9. Chapter 8: Dating Part 1

I'm still sitting next to Buck this morning when he finally stirs. His eye opens a little. "How are you feeling?" I ask.

Buck groans. "I've bin betta. I still feel sick…" Buck admits.

"Buck, it's okay to tell me if you don't feel well. You're not weak. I just want to help you," I smile.

Buck smiles back at me. "Thanks, Icea…fer everything."

"You're welcome," I stroke Buck's cheek.

Buck starts to sit up. I put my paw on his chest. "You shouldn't get up," I try to push Buck back down.

"Icea, le' me up. We need ta ge' back before Rudy comes 'round," Buck argues.

"Don't worry, Buck. If he comes around, I'll protect you," I joke, a smirk on my face.

"I's no' a laughing ma'er!" Buck glares at me.

"I know. I just wanted to make light of it," I place my paw over Buck's.

Buck blushes. "Still, we should find a safah place than thi'!" Buck says with his face still red.

"If you say so," I help Buck stand. Then, we start heading back to the tree.

When we arrive, I turn to Buck. "I want you to lie down," I tell him.

"Bu'…" Buck tries to argue.

"No Buts! Buck, you're still sick. You need to rest," I lead Buck to his nest. Finally, after much persuasion, I get Buck to go to sleep.

About an hour later, Buck wakes up again. This time, I'm not in the tree. At least, not yet. I am outside. I hear a creaking noise coming from inside. I climb the tree to find Buck struggling to stand. "Buck! You shouldn't get up, yet!" I yell.

"Icea, I jus' wan' ta ge' up an' do somethin' besides stayin' in my nest!" Buck argues. He stands on wobbly legs. However, he doesn't make it very far when he leans forward and begins vomiting.

"Buck…" I sigh. I go over to him. I stroke his back in a soothing gesture as he continues to heave and retch.

When Buck finally stops vomiting, he looks up into my face. He cowers slightly at my stern expression. "Icea, I…" Buck trails off nervously.

"Buck, that's why I want you to stay in your nest and rest!" I growl.

"Icea, I…'m sorry…" Buck mumbles. I see tears gathering in his single eye.

I place my paw on Buck's uninjured shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry that I shouted at you. It's just…I'm worried about you, that's all. You should lay back down, now. I'll clean this vomit up," I speak.

"I…'m sorry. I…I didn't mean ta throw up…" Buck apologizes.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault," I reply.

While Buck is laying down in his nest, I clean the vomit up off of the floor. Then, I turn back to Buck. "Now, why don't we both go get some sleep," I suggest. Buck nods his head. He closes his eye and drifts off to sleep. I go over to my own nest. It isn't long before I, too, am asleep.

Late that night, I wake to the sound of whimpers. I look over towards Buck's nest to see him squirming uncomfortably. I hear him mumbling in his sleep. "No…no…!" Buck gasps. Suddenly, he bolts upright. "Ahhh!" Buck screams. He is now wide awake with a scared look on his face.

"Buck, are you okay?" I ask.

Buck turns to look at me. I see tears gathered in the corner of his single eye. "Icea? Did I wake ya? I…'m sorry…" Buck apologizes. I see him biting his lip, trying to keep himself from crying.

"No, Buck. It isn't your fault. I just want to know if you're alright," I smile softly.

"I…'m fine. 't was jus' a nightmare. I…I don' really wan' ta talk 'bout 't…" Buck mumbles.

"Come on, Buck. You'll feel much better if you talk about it," I try to coax Buck into talking.

Buck nods his head, slowly, in acceptance. Wiping away his tears, Buck begins. "I dreamt 'bout…'bout my past...before I came down 'ere."

My eye widens. "What happened?" I ask.

"Th' reason tha' I came down 'ere is because I ran 'way. My parents believe in arranging mates fer th' young ones, myself included. They were goin' ta force me ta mate wi' someone tha' I don' love. I ran off when I found out. My parents are really strict. They would've 'urt me fer no' goin' 'long wi' their wishes," Buck explains.

"Did anything else happen in your nightmare?" I ask.

"Ya don' miss a beat, do ya? Yes, somethin' else did 'appen. I…I dreamt tha' my parents came. I dreamt tha' they 'ad Rudy…kill ya…" At those words, Buck's eye fills with tears again. Buck lets out a high-pitched whine.

My eye grows even wider. "Don't worry about me. That was only a dream. I'm fine. Why would you worry, though? You're training me, so your parents and Rudy shouldn't have an easy time trying to kill me," I point out.

The tears start to fall from his eye. "I worry 'cause…'cause I…I love ya…" Buck confesses.

My mouth drops open. "Y…you do? I…I love you, too…" I reply when I snap out of my shock. I'm blushing profusely.

Buck's eye shines with newfound happiness. He leans forward and begins kissing me. When his lips meet mine, I feel sparks light off. I feel weightless. It isn't long before I start kissing Buck back.

When we break away, Buck appears nervous. "Can I ask ya somethin'?" He asks.

"Of course!" I smile.

"Would ya…would ya like ta be my girlfriend?" Buck asks. His ears are folded down. He's probably afraid that I'll say no.

"Why do you look so worried? I love you, Buck! Of course I want to be your girlfriend!" I laugh. Buck captures my lips in another kiss, this one more passionate than the last.

We break away. "I love ya, Icea," Buck tells me.

"I love you, too," I reply, a smile still plastered on my face. We lay back down, this time in the same nest. That night, we fall asleep together, much calmer than before.


	10. Chapter 9: Dating Part 2

It isn't long after we decide to date that Buck fully heals from the snake venom. Even after his illness, though, Buck is still a little weak. He gets tired much quicker than usual. I have to make sure that he takes it easy until his energy levels are up. Although, Buck isn't too thrilled with the concept of taking it easy. Right now, we are arguing yet again.

"C'mon, Icea! I wanna go out an' 'ave some more adventures! I don' wan' ta stay in 'ere all day!" Buck whines. He gives me the best puppy dog look that he can muster. Admittedly, it is quite adorable.

It won't work on me, though. "Buck, if you want to get stronger, then you need rest! Now, quit arguing with me. I know you hate staying in the den, but you have to for now," I try to explain. Buck puts his lower lip out in a pout. I laugh. "Don't look at me like that! I'll tell you what. You can go outside for a little bit tomorrow if you rest today, deal?" I put my right paw out.

Buck takes it. "Deal," he says. We shake paws on it.

"Good. Now, I'll go out and find some food. Don't worry. I won't let anything eat me. I'll be back soon," I tell him. I head out into the dino world, intent on finding some food.

Not long into the search for food, I find a mango tree growing amongst a grove of other assorted fruit trees. I climb the tree and pick some of the mangos, as well as other fruit from the surrounding trees. I keep gathering fruit until my sack is full. Then, I leap from the tree and rush off back towards home.

When I get back, I am pleased to see Buck still where I left him. I guess he took my promise seriously. I place the fruit down on the table. I turn to Buck. "What would you like for lunch?" I ask.

"Well, 'ow 'bout ya cut up some ah tha' fruit an' turn 't inta fruit salad?" Buck suggests.

I smile. "Great idea, Buck. I'll get right on it," I reply. I cut the fruit up and mix it together. I then gather it up into two separate bowls: one for me and one for Buck.

Buck digs in, a pleased look on his face. "Well, ya've outdone yerself 'ere! Thi' is great!"

"Thanks," I smile while I enjoy my own bowl of food.

When the food is done, I insist on doing the dishes. Buck still needs to rest, after all. Surprisingly to me, Buck doesn't even argue. He just nods his head with a smile. While I am doing the dishes, unbeknownst to me, Buck is getting a surprise ready for me.

When the last dish is dried and put away, I turn around. I am surprised to see Buck sitting with a smile on his face. The kind of smile that he is giving me is cause for suspicion. That's because it's actually more of a smirk.

Buck motions me to come closer. I go over to sit beside him. He pulls out a small, elongated box and hands it over to me. I open it and gasp. Inside is a necklace made with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and other gemstones all strung up on a golden chain. In the middle is a bright red ruby heart with diamonds lining it. Tears of happiness spring to my eye. I let Buck put the necklace on me. "Oh Buck, it's beautiful!" I gasp.

"Yeah, ya are…" Buck sighs.

I shake my head. "Now you're just being corny!" I laugh.

"I kno'. I try," Buck laughs with me.

I kiss Buck on the cheek. "Thank you, Buck."

"Yer welcome, Icea," Buck replies while returning the kiss.

I look towards the nest. "Why don't we take a little nap? I don't know about you, but I've been on my paws all day," I end with a sigh.

"Alright, as long as ya stay wi' me," Buck agrees. I nod my head. We lay beside each other on the nest. Buck caresses my cheek while I snuggle up to him. It isn't long before we both fall asleep.


	11. Chapter 10: Mates

Not long after Buck gives me his surprise gift, he is up and about. That is, I am finally allowing him to go out and have his adventures. Most times, I tag along. However, there are times where I'd rather have my own adventures instead.

That's why, at this very moment, I take my knife and start exploring more of the dino world. I start traveling in the darker regions, where hardly any light can be seen. I look around. Even the trees are dark. They reach up to scratch the sky. I am kind of surprised by just how tall the trees are.

Unfortunately, while I am gazing at the trees, something else spots me. It is something much more terrifying than any tree. I hear a roar: the same roar that I heard the day that I came to this world.

I turn around to see the giant white monster known as Rudy. He roars again. I know that I'm no match for him…yet. I turn tail and run off as fast as my legs will carry me. I hear and feel Rudy's thundering footsteps. I scream, afraid for my life. I keep running, until I trip over a hidden tree root. Pain stabs at my ankle. I yelp. Rudy comes closer. I look around. I spot a cave with an opening that is too small for Rudy. I dart inside of it. I hear Rudy growl and roar from frustration. Finally, he just leaves me alone.

I turn in the cave until I am sitting. My ankle is throbbing. I wince. I take a look at it for the first time. It's red and puffed up. Thankfully, though, it isn't broken. It is just sprained.

I take a peek outside. It looks safe enough now. However, due to my ankle, I won't be able to make it back home. Just then, Buck swings in out of nowhere. He hasn't seen me. "Icea! Whe-ah are ya?!" Buck calls. I can see the worry in his eye.

"I'm here! In here!" I call back.

Buck turns towards the cave. He darts inside to meet me. "Icea! Are ya alright?" Buck asks.

"I'm fine. I was running from Rudy. I tripped and sprained my ankle, but I'll live," I assure him.

Buck takes a look at my ankle. "'t looks like a bad sprain. I'll ge' 't taken care ah," he replies. Buck lifts me up and puts me on a raised stone inside the cave. Buck crushes some herbs into a poultice and applies it to my ankle. I wince, but other than that, make no reaction.

Buck looks at me. I am startled to see tears flowing from his left eye. He looks away from me. I place my right paw on his left cheek. "Buck, why are you crying?" I ask, my eye holding a worried glint.

"I…when I heard ya scream, I thought tha' somethin' ate ya. I was…I was scared tha' I was gonna lose ya…" Buck gasps in between his sobs.

I wrap my arms around Buck's neck. I hold him and let him cry into the fur of my shoulder. I put my paw on his head. "It's alright, Buck. I'm still here. I won't leave you, I promise," I whisper soothingly.

After a while, Buck stops crying. He pulls himself away from me. Buck sniffles and wipes the remaining tears from his eye. "I…Icea, I love ya so much…I can't imagine spendin' my life without ya…" Buck pauses. He then gets down on one knee. Buck takes my right paw in his. "I kno' tha' we 'ave no' bin datin' long, bu' I love ya. Icea, would…would ya like ta be my…my mate?" Buck asks nervously. I can see that he's fidgeting with his left paw.

I give off a wide smile. "Oh, Buck! I love you! Yes! I want to be your mate!" I laugh happily. We embrace. Buck puts his lips to mine as we engage in a very passionate kiss.

When we break away, we are both blushing profusely. I nuzzle my face into Buck's fur. "Let's go home," I sigh contentedly.

Buck nods his head. "Yeah, le's go 'ome," Buck picks me up. He starts carrying me towards home. I am happy, now, happy that I've met the weasel that I wish to spend the rest of my life with.


	12. Chapter 11: Pregnancy

Buck and I have been mates for a few weeks. Lately, I have been experiencing a weird feeling in my stomach. It feels tickly, like I have butterflies fluttering around. I've also been feeling sick and tired. I even threw up a few times. Luckily for me, Buck wasn't around. Otherwise, he would have been worried. I'm not completely sure about what is causing my strange symptoms. For now, I'm keeping it a secret from Buck. I need to know what it is for sure before I cause Buck to worry. I know how he reacts.

The next time Buck goes to look for food, I feel the strange feeling again. I place a paw on my stomach. When I feel it against my paw, I know. I have kits inside of me. I'm going to be a mother. I can't wait to tell Buck.

Soon enough, Buck returns with his arms full of fruit as well as a couple of fish. I wait for him to set the goods down before I begin. "Buck, I have something to tell you. Um…you might want to sit down," I suggest.

Buck does. "Wot is 't?" He asks.

"Well, have you noticed how strange I've been acting and that I may've been looking a little sick?" I ask.

"Yeah. I 'ave, actually…" Buck answers.

"I…I have something to tell you…" I begin.

"Wot?" Buck asks.

"I…Buck, I…I'm pregnant!" I announce.

Buck's eye widens in surprise. The shocked look leaves Buck's face. He speaks at last. "Really? Are ya sure?" Buck asks excitedly.

"Yes. They've just started moving," I answer.

Buck gives off a wide goofy grin, before whooping. "'m gonna be a fathah!" Buck laughs and swings me around.

"Easy, Buck. I'm dizzy enough as it is," I smile good-naturedly.

"Oh! Sorry," Buck puts me down.

"It's all good," I laugh.

Buck hugs me, careful of my belly. "I love ya. 'm sure we'll 'ave th' best kits we could evah 'ope fer," Buck kisses me on the forehead.

That night, we both decide to turn in early. I wince slightly while trying to get comfortable. Buck notices. "Icea, wot is 't?" He asks.

"My back hurts," I answer.

"Well, le' me fix tha'." Buck starts to massage my back.

I sigh. "Oh, that feels so good…Whatever you do, don't stop…" I hear Buck laugh a little at what I just said. We snuggle together, Buck still massaging my back. As we start to drift off, our thoughts lie on the glorious future ahead.

Unfortunately for Buck, that's when my cravings decide to kick in. I wake Buck up. "Buck, I'm in the mood for fish covered in pineapple juice," I whisper into his ear.

"Pineapple juice? Cravings, huh?" Buck inquires.

"Yep!" I answer.

"Oh, all right, though I doubt ya'll like 't," Buck relents.

"Who knows?" I ask rhetorically.

Buck leaves. He returns a while later with a freshly roasted fish covered in pineapple juice. I take a large bite. "Mmmm…Sweet, but not bad!" I continue eating the fish.

Buck gawks at me. "Ya actually like 't?"

"Yeah, so?" I ask.

"Uh…no reason," Buck answers. I finish my fish. Then, we both settle back to sleep.


	13. Chapter 12: Birth

A couple of weeks later, I am near the end of my pregnancy. My stomach has grown quite large over the weeks, dampening my mood. I go to Buck. "Do I look fat?" I ask.

Buck's eye widens. "Icea, ya look as beautiful as th' day we became mates."

"Good answer," I laugh.

"Maybe we shouldn't go ou' today. I mean, 't can't be long 'til ya give birth ta th' kits. Wot if somethin' happens?" Buck asks.

"If my contractions start, there are plenty of caves and hollow trees throughout the jungle. Also, remember that we made nests in each one in case we needed them quickly. We should be quite fine," I reply.

Buck sighs in defeat, knowing that he won't be able to argue with me. We climb down the tree and begin our trip into the jungle.

Maybe an hour into our journey, we hear Rudy's familiar roar. It sounds like it is only a mile away. Glancing at each other, and deciding that a fight isn't our best option, we start racing off through the jungle. That is made almost impossible by the size of my stomach. It is being stretched far too much to be even close to comfortable. I start having pain that I believe to be the pains from running too much.

That's when my water breaks. I gasp in shock, until the pain becomes worse. "Ahhh!" I scream.

"Wot…?" Buck is nervous.

"The kits! They're coming!" I yell.

Buck's eye widens. "The-ah's a cave nearby. Do ya think tha' ya c'n walk tha' far?" Buck asks.

"I…I'll try…" I gasp. Buck helps me to the closest cave. Luckily, it's only a few minutes away. When we get there, the contractions are only a few minutes apart. I lower myself into my nest with Buck's help.

I yowl as the pain intensifies. Buck takes my paw. I squeeze his…hard. Buck winces from the pain. "Sorry…" I gasp out.

"No problem…" Buck replies.

I scream. The pressure begins to build up. I feel the urge to push. Yowling, I manage to push out my first kit. Buck takes him and cleans him off. Buck wraps him up. I give birth to another boy kit. Two she-kits follow in quick succession. Buck does the same to all three kits as he did for the first.

I lay back on my nest, utterly exhausted from my ordeal. "Four beautiful kits…" I whisper.

"Yes. Wot should we name 'em?" Buck asks with a proud smile on his face.

"We'll name them after I take a little nap," I reply. I close my eye and fall asleep.

When I wake up, I find that my energy levels are much higher. Buck is holding our two sons, while our two daughters are asleep on the kit-nest. "Now, wot do ya think we should name 'em?" Buck asks, turning to me.

"Juniper, for our first born. I want to name our youngest Sophie. You name our middle kits," I tell Buck.

"Fallon fer our middle son an' Ivy fer our middle daughter," Buck names them.

I smile. "I love those names." The kits begin to cry. They're probably hungry. I take them and allow them to drink from me. I gaze at them, happy that I'm now a mother. Nothing could be more perfect.


	14. Chapter 13: Terra and Jamie

It has been a few weeks since I gave birth. Almost immediately, our children turned into tiny little fur balls. They are so adorable. Their different personalities are already so developed. Juniper is the hungry one of the litter. Fallon is quite the feisty little bundle. Ivy is a smiley kit, while Sophie tends to be a little shy.

Buck has helped me out so much since our kits were born. Even more so, considering how exhausted I was after the birth. Though Buck can't feed the kits, he looks after them so I can nap a little. Buck is an excellent father.

Right now, Buck is off searching for food. I need all that I can get if I'm to provide milk for four kits. Thankfully, in a few more weeks, it'll be time to wean them.

"Icea!" Buck calls from outside.

"Buck! Please! I just got them to sleep!" I call back, groaning when our kits wake and begin to cry.

"Icea, I've found two weasels. Rudy was chasing 'em," Buck explains as two weasels step inside.

One of them is an adult female. The other is a teenage male. The female speaks. "Hello. My name is Terra. This is my younger brother, Jamie."

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Icea. I'm Buck's mate. These are our kits. Their names are Juniper, Fallon, Ivy, and Sophie," I introduce myself and the kits.

"Oh! They're adorable! I was close to having kits myself, you see. However, my mate would beat me. The strain was too much and I lost them. After that, Jamie convinced me to leave my mate and start a life somewhere else. Jamie chose to come along to help me out," Terra explains.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear about your kits," I look down.

"Don't worry about it. It's getting a little easier each day. Who knows? I may meet someone that would treat me much better than my ex," Terra speaks optimistically.

"Well, until then, I could always use the help with our kits. It's hard, having four of them. Would you mind?" I ask.

Terra's smile becomes larger. "I'd love to."

"Alright, _Aunt Terra_ …" I wink. "Why don't you hold Sophie. She's pretty shy, so it'll take time. I think you may be able to win her over, though."

Terra takes Sophie into her arms. I'm surprised when Sophie giggles at Terra. "Wow! I thought she was shy!" Terra addresses me.

"She usually is…I think she must like you," I reply.

Terra rocks Sophie to sleep, while I put all the others to bed. "You'll make a great mother one of these days. Don't worry. There are plenty of nice, young male weasels who would love to be with you," I speak softly, so as not to wake the kits.

"I know, Icea. I know…" Terra trails off. That night, Terra and Jamie sleep soundly. I drift off as well, knowing that we now have two new friends in our little weasel clan.


	15. Chapter 14: The Herd's Arrival

Not too long after the kits are weaned, our lives get to be a little more exciting. I'm out with Buck (Terra and Jamie are babysitting the kits) when a group of mammals makes their way into our world. The group consists of two mammoths (male and female), two possums (that look like brothers), and a saber.

Buck and I look at each other, surprised by the mammals' sudden appearance. "What do you think they're doing down here?" I ask.

Buck shrugs his shoulders. "I don' kno'. They do look strange, though." Buck comments.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well, whe-ah 'ave ya evah seen a herd of two mammoths, two possums, an' a saber?" Buck clarifies in a question form.

"Yeah. Good point," I reply. Our conversation is interrupted by the shrieks of nearby dinosaurs. They are obviously planning to attack the six mammals.

Buck's crazy side takes over. He swings in to the rescue of those mammals. I head in a little slower. I meet them all near the river. Buck has already finished introducing himself when I arrive. "Hello. I'm Icea, Buck's mate," I speak up.

"Are you as crazy as he is?" The male mammoth asks.

"Buck isn't crazy and neither am I!" I argue.

"Whatever," the mammals begin to head off.

"Wait! Where are you going?" I call.

"We have to find our friend!" The male mammoth calls back without turning around.

I look at Buck, confusion swimming in my single eye. "What was that about?" I ask.

"They don' wan' ta acknowledge th' dangers ah thi' world," Buck groans in annoyance.

"Well, let's go back home. I'll ask Terra to watch the kits, since I bet those mammals will ask for help fairly soon," I comment.

"Maybe ya shouldn't come 'long," Buck starts.

"Oh, no way am I letting you go without me! I'd miss you too much!" I smile. I know I've won our little argument. With those words said, we head back home.

I speak to Terra as soon as we get there. "Terra, could you watch the kits for a few days? There are some mammals that just arrived in this world. We need to make sure that they don't run into trouble," I explain.

"Of course I'll watch the kits! We'll have plenty of food, with Jamie helping out," Terra smiles. Buck and I leave our tree, ready for this new adventure.

Not very long into our journey, Buck picks up the trail of the herd. That wasn't very hard, considering the fact that there are two sets of mammoth footprints to follow. From the look of the different sets of footprints, it doesn't look like the herd is very good at tracking (or surviving) in general. The grass and nearby branches are pushed aside. The herd is travelling willy-nilly.

I look at Buck. "They're gonna get themselves killed, trying to save their friend when they can't even get their own brains out of their tails," I scoff.

Buck laughs. "Yeah, I kno'. Tha's why we're goin' afta 'em," Buck replies.

"Yeah, so maybe we should hurry up," I suggest. A few screams sound from somewhere nearby, as if to agree with me.

"Come on, Icea! They must be in dangah!" Buck shouts out the obvious. Together, we race off towards the screams.


	16. Chapter 15: The Killer Plant

After a few minutes of running in the direction that the other mammals are traveling in, the screams can be heard even louder. A couple more minutes later, we finally catch up to the strange little herd. We leap onto a flat rock. We see the female mammoth call to the male. "Manny!"

We see the cause of her distress immediately. A monster plant is eating her mate and the saber.

Buck, at the female's urging, swoops into action. He enters the plant's mouth, trying to free the two mammals. I stay with the female mammoth, trying to calm her down as she watches the plant. She's obviously worried about her mate. Within the time span of around two minutes, the plant begins to expand. It bursts open, barfing up Buck, the mammoth, and the saber. Buck grabs a leaf in midair, using it as a parachute, as he glides down to the ground.

I laugh at Buck, seeing him covered in green goop. "Buck, maybe you should, I don't know, clean up? That goop can't be comfortable. Plus, you look kind of funny," I giggle.

Buck pouts and looks at me. "Ya don' 'ave ta rub 't in…" He whines.

"Okay…okay…" I sigh, smiling teasingly. I swipe my right paw over his fur, brushing off a fairly sizeable ball of goop. "There. Now, that's one ball of goop less that you have to clean up," I laugh.

"Ha ha very funny. Bu', the-ah's one thin' tha' yer right 'bout. Thi' goop is uncomfortable. I's startin' ta itch," Buck replies, while scratching his arms.

"Okay, then, let's go find a river and get rid of that goop," I suggest.

Buck nods his head with a smile. He starts to walk away, with me following. The female mammoth interrupts our stride. "Buck, will you help us find the floppy green thing?" She asks. Her mate tries to argue, only to be shut down.

Buck sighs. He obviously wants to get cleaned up before doing anything. Even so, he turns back to the herd. "Alright. I'll 'elp ya, bu' I've go' rules. Rule #1: Always listen ta Buck an', ah course, Icea. Rule #2: Stay in th' middle ah th' trail. Rule #3: He who 'as gas travels at th' back ah th' pack. Now, le's ge' movin'! Also, one more thin', before we go an' find yer friend, I wan' ta wash off thi' goop!" Buck states. The herd members nod their heads in compliance. Buck starts leading us, myself included, in the direction of the nearby river.

As we begin to walk, the female mammoth speaks. "My name's Ellie. This is Manny, Diego, Crash, and Eddie," she points to all of them in turn. I smile slightly to them.

A few minutes later, we make it to the river. Buck stops at the water's edge. He's obviously getting ready to jump in. I sneak behind him. I push him in the river. Buck gives a startled shout as he is plunged in the water. He emerges a moment later, completely soaked through his fur. Buck turns towards me. He glares.

I laugh at him. "Hahahaha! Buck, why're you all wet?" I ask jokingly.

Buck's glare turns into a pout. "Maybe 'cause ya pushed me," Buck whines.

I place my paw on his shoulder. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you can push me in now. Go ahead," I offer.

"Nah, Icea. Even though ya deserve 't…" Buck gives me his one-eyed wink.

"Let's keep going. The herd is probably getting impatient," I suggest. Buck nods his head. Turning back to the herd, we continue to move on.


	17. Chapter 16: The Chasm of Death

Along the way, Buck and I talk in whispers to each other. We don't want the others, especially those two possums, to eavesdrop. We may not have known the herd members for long, but it's pretty obvious that the possums are a couple of mischief makers. "So…how do you think the kits are doing?" I ask Buck from my position next to him.

"Icea, we've on'y jus' left an hour ago," Buck points out.

"Yeah I know, but I've never been away for more than a couple of hours. This'll take a few days at least!" I argue.

"I kno'. They'll be fine, though. They are in very capable paws," Buck tries to soothe my nerves.

I smile a little. I'm thankful that Buck is, at least, the calm one of us both.

Not long after this little conversation, we find ourselves on a path not far from the Chasm of Death. Not that I'd know, of course. I've never been there. I'm kind of excited, actually. As we are travelling, Buck's craziness comes to the fore yet again. He grabs a rock and begins speaking into it as if it was a phone. It seems that he thinks he is talking to Terra, asking her about the wellbeing of our kits.

I look back at the herd. I notice the looks that Manny and Diego are giving my mate. I glare. "Stop looking at him like that!" I yell at them.

"Why? He's crazy!" Manny argues.

"So what?! It's rude to stare!" I growl.

"Fine," Manny grumbles. Buck finishes his little phone conversation. Then, we continue on our way.

Only minutes later, we finally arrive at the Chasm of Death. Both of the possums crouch low, near the chasm. Crash spits into the chasm, watching it drop.

"So, why do they call it the Chasm of Death?" Crash asks, turning to Buck.

"Well, we tried 'Big Smelly Crack', bu' uh…tha' made everyone giggle," Buck answers.

Buck leaps up and brings a suspended bone bridge down. I step on first. Ellie, against Manny's protests, follows. Buck ferries us across after warning us to hold our breaths.

After we exit, Buck tries to ferry everyone else over at once. However, Buck's plan backfires. Everyone else proves to be too heavy. They get stuck. Soon, they are no longer able to hold their breaths. The gas starts making them laugh. Buck goes over to try to unhook them. Manny tickles Buck with his trunk, causing Buck to breathe in the gas. It isn't long before he begins to laugh uncontrollably as well. Finally, Ellie decides to take matters into her own trunk. She pulls hard on the vine, freeing the animals.

Buck comes in last, swinging from the main vine from his feet. I catch him. "Buck!" I call.

Buck finally stops laughing. "Icea? Sorry 'bout tha'," Buck's ears droop, a blush coating his cheeks. The look in his eye is full of guilt.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're alright," I smile. Buck smiles back. Together, we lead the others away from the Chasm of Death.


	18. Chapter 17: The Plates of Woe

Last night was an eventful night, with Buck telling everyone how he lost his eye. Now, we are heading towards the Plates of Woe. I'm not sure how the name came about. Buck never told me. I'll have to ask him about it one of these days.

On the way to the Plates, Buck stops us in a clearing. I know why. We both can smell something horrifyingly nasty. "'t smells like a buzzard's butt fell off an' then go' sprayed on by a bunch ah skunks!" Buck says, his face scrunched up in disgust.

"That's Sid," Diego confirms our suspicion.

Buck decides to go through all the possible scenarios for this 'crime scene', none of which make any sense.

"Uh, Buck? You missed a little clue over here!" Diego calls.

Our ears fold down at the sight of the smashed up Plates. "Well, yer friend may be alive, bu' no' fer long. Rudy's closing in," Buck speaks.

"Whoa!" The possum twins gasp.

"Tha's right. Th' Plates ah Woe! Or…wot's left of 'em," Buck starts leading us down.

When we get there, I know we have to be careful. The Plates are kind of unstable at the moment. Ellie starts to slow down. When everyone notices, she tries to catch up. Unfortunately, the whole thing begins to collapse. Ellie jumps to the outer ledge just in time. Buck grabs me and the possum twins as we begin our somewhat speedy descent.

We dust ourselves off and try to hurry to Ellie. Ellie starts to call out different fruit names. Manny thinks that they're cravings, until she calls out one final fruit. "Peaches!"

Apparently, 'peaches' is the code word for 'I'm having the baby!' Manny goes nuts! I climb onto his head and slap him in the face. "Calm down! Unlike you, I already have kits! I know what to do!" I'm shouting at this point.

Manny finally starts breathing again. "Alright," he gasps.

That's all the invitation I need. While Buck and the possums go to save Sid, and Manny stops some Dinosaurs from getting through the lower level, Diego and I start heading to Ellie.

When we get there, Diego stands guard against some Dinosaurs that are trying to get to Ellie.

I stand next to Ellie to try to help. "Breathe, Ellie. Manny will be here soon," I try to calm Ellie's nervousness.

"You have kits? I didn't know that…" Ellie gasps.

"I wasn't sure that I could trust any of you. I don't want harm to come to my kits. They're barely weaned. Right now, a couple of our friends are watching them," I explain.

"How many kits do you have?" Ellie asks.

"Four. It was my first and only litter," I answer.

Ellie gasps. I check on her. "Okay! Get ready! Push!" I yell.

Ellie pushes. After about four big pushes, out comes a baby mammoth. She cries her first cries as Ellie takes hold of her. Manny comes up on my side, his gaze on his daughter. As I watch that gaze of affection, I feel happy to be here at this moment. Now that the Dinosaurs are defeated, all I have to do is wait for Buck.


	19. Chapter 18: Rescuing Sid

**A/N: All of this chapter is in Buck's Point of View.**

Straight after the possums and I leave the others, we go to wrangle a pterodactyl. That is the best way to get to Lava Falls.

When I wrangle the pterodactyl, the possums are flung into the air. They land behind me on the pterodactyl. They are screaming quite loudly. I don't think the possums like the ride. They are even more afraid when I tell them that I've never flown a pterodactyl before.

I'm flying this stubborn creature towards the Falls. Along the way, Crash spots Sid jumping across slabs of earth. "Look! There's Sid!" He calls.

"Roger!" I call back.

"No! Sid!" Eddie tries to correct me.

"I kno'! Roger!" I shout.

"Well, let's save Sid first and then go back for Roger," Eddie suggests stupidly.

I sigh. "Ugh…nevah mind…" I continue to pilot our pterodactyl.

However, it isn't that easy to even get close to Sid when more of them begin attacking us. We're being forced to alter our course. The possums complain, of course. I point out how we can't exactly save Sid until we lose our airborne enemies.

I'm not telling the possums this, but I am a little scared, considering our present situation. I take the pterodactyl around a bend. I have the possums grab some ammo and shoot at the other pterodactyls. It works fairly well.

Before we can get to the Falls, however, a pterodactyl flies above me and grabs me in midair. I struggle and squirm in its grasp. I twist my head in an attempt to bite its foot. The pterodactyl's claws dig deeper into my shoulders. I yelp, feeling the blood beginning to run down my arms. After a while, I manage to twist my head enough to sink my teeth in the pterodactyl's foot. The pterodactyl drops me.

Luckily for me, I land back on our pterodactyl. I regain the reins. The possums look at me worriedly as I lick the wounds on my shoulders. I can taste the metal tang of my own blood. I'm bleeding quite a bit and my vision is getting slightly blurred. Even so, I fight against the pain. I turn the pterodactyl back towards the Falls.

We are almost to our destination, when a pterodactyl hits ours dead on. Our flying beast begins to plummet farther towards the ground. I use a few somewhat unconventional methods to get us airborne again (including mouth-to-mouth).

We are heading straight for the Falls! We pull up just in time to avoid death. Unfortunately for me, some lava splashes the lower part of my right arm. I grit my teeth, holding back the yowl that's forming on the tip of my tongue.

However, I end up gasping instead. Crash notices. "Are you okay, Buck?"

"Yeah. 'm...fine..." I lie. My arm is killing me. That, coupled with the claw marks in my shoulders, makes the pain almost unbearable. I blink back the tears that are forming in the corner of my eye.

I look up and see Sid falling towards us. The pterodactyl, for some odd reason, actually catches Sid. After a mishap on my part that sends us crashing into the icy ceiling, we begin heading back. I can't wait to see Icea again. I just hope that she won't worry when she sees my wounds. I spend the rest of the trip licking my wounds in an attempt to make them look a little less hideous.


	20. Chapter 19: Journey Back

**A/N: Back in Icea's Point of View**

Not long after Ellie gave birth, Buck, the possums, and Sid make an appearance. The pterodactyl drops Sid. Sid and the possums run to Ellie and the baby, while Buck stands back.

I am curious as to why Buck would stay back instead of coming any closer. I run up to him. "Hey! Are you okay? Why aren't you…Oh! You're hurt!" I see the claw marks on his shoulders and the burn mark on his arm. I grab Buck's arm. Buck yowls from the pain. "How long have you been holding back any sounds?" I ask, referring to his yowl.

"Fer a while," Buck gasps. I see tears pooling his eye. Buck bites his lip.

By now, the others have begun staring. "Are you okay?" Ellie asks, concerned.

"'m…fine…" Buck lies. I can tell that the others don't really believe him, especially when they see Buck's tears. His breathing becomes ragged.

I place my paw on Buck's left cheek and turn his head to face me. I brush away his tears. "It's okay, Buck. I'll help you," I whisper soothingly into Buck's ear. Buck nods his head, sniffling softly.

I grab some nearby moss and press it to Buck's claw marks to get the bleeding to stop. When the bleeding is successfully stopped, I start to apply an ointment consisting of Comfrey, Lavender, and Sage. Buck yelps with the stinging feeling of the herbs. I hear him sniffle a little more. I bind Buck's shoulder with a makeshift leaf bandage.

I then turn to his arm. I grab a few aloe leaves and squeeze some of the gel out. I put some of the gel on Buck's arm. He gasps from the pain, but slowly relaxes as the gel begins to ease his pain. I carefully bandage Buck's arm with some clean leaves. I give Buck a comforting hug. He returns it. I can feel him smiling against my fur.

"Maybe we should find a safe place to camp for the night," I suggest.

Buck merely nods his head as he begins to lead us to a clearing about an hour away.

When we get there, Sid makes a small camp fire. I enlist the possums' help and gather food for everyone. When I take my seat next to Buck, I glance at him. "Are you in any pain?" I ask.

"A li'l, bu' 't is fine," Buck smiles.

"Maybe we should turn in early. We both could do with some extra rest," I suggest.

"Alright," Buck agrees. We bid everyone goodnight before going to claim some much needed sleep.

I wake up around midnight. I notice right away that Buck isn't beside me. I get up to look around. I find Buck in the forest area. He is vomiting into a bush. "Buck?" I whisper so that I won't wake anyone else up.

Buck raises his head. "Icea?" Buck gasps in between bouts of vomiting.

I go to stand behind Buck. I run a paw through Buck's head fur, trying to soothe him. When Buck finally stops vomiting, I use a leaf to clean his mouth. "What's wrong? Why are you sick?" I ask.

"I don' kno'. 't might be my arm…or the claw marks…" Buck trails off and groans.

I look at Buck's arm. It looks fine, so I look at Buck's claw marks. They're oozing a yellow liquid. "They're infected," I tell Buck. I take his knife.

"Wot are ya doin'?" Buck asks nervously.

"I need to cut out the infected part," I explain. I give Buck a solid stick. "Here. Bite down on this when the pain comes," I order.

As soon as Buck bites down on the stick, I begin to cut the infection out. I'm trying to ignore Buck's muffled yowls as I continue with this task. As soon as the infection is removed, I bandage Buck's arm back up.

"Thanks, Icea…" Buck gasps.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go back to sleep," I pull Buck along, back to our nest. We are asleep before too long.


	21. Chapter 20: Rudy

The next day, not one member of the herd knows that Buck was sick the night before. That is because he is back to his normal self. As in, he is back to his cocky self. Later that day, we find our way to the exit of this world. The mammals are grateful for our help, even Manny.

Unfortunately, though, trouble decides to meet us. Something behind Buck is breathing, moving Buck's fur. I gasp. Buck's eye widens. "We're no' 'lone, are we?" Buck asks rhetorically. He turns around and heads closer to us. "'ello, Rudy," Buck greets the Dino that's about to attack us.

Rudy claws his way out of the cave. "Run!" Buck shouts when Rudy gives off an earthshattering roar.

Ellie, Crash, and Eddie take Peaches to the cave. After some quick words with them, we run off in the same direction that Buck went. I know only one thing: We have to get there and help him before it's too late.

We get there in time to see Buck nearly get eaten. Luckily, Diego manages to jump between Rudy's jaws and save Buck. Buck gets up from the ground and looks around for a means to defeat Rudy. Buck sees some giant green moths lounging nearby. He shoos them so that they will fly in and distract Rudy. We grab vines from the trees and begin to them to tie Rudy up. Our plan works! Rudy is tripped and knocked unconscious by the fall.

However, Sid screws up, big time. Sid trips over and breaks one of the vines. Rudy opens his giant crimson eyes. He starts to rise. The vines begin to snap from the pressure. Before too long, Rudy is free.

Rudy makes his way to the trembling (and screaming) sloth. Just when it seems that Sid will get eaten, mama dinosaur appears out of nowhere. She pushes Rudy over the cliff. He falls, presumably to his death.

Sid starts to say goodbye to his adopted kids and their mother. While the herd is conversing, I look towards Buck. He seems kind of bummed, now that Rudy is dead. I go to stand beside him. "What's wrong?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"He's gone, tha's wot's wrong! We've bin enemies fer years! Wot am I s'posed ta do now?" Buck wails. His eye is filled with tears.

"Why don't you, Icea, your kits, and your friends come along? Join us!" The herd offers.

Buck's eye widens with surprise and maybe a little hope. He looks at me. I let my eye meet Buck's. I nod my head in his direction, giving my consent. "Alright!" Buck smiles. He's obviously touched by the fact that the herd wants us to come with them.

We leave briefly. Maybe ten minutes later, we return with Terra and Jamie. Each of us is holding a kit. I take to introducing them. "These are our friends, Terra and Jamie. These are our kits, Juniper, Fallon, Ivy, and Sophie," I point to all of them in turn. After these brief introductions, we begin to enter the long, dark tunnel. It isn't long before we are greeted by the bright flash of sunlight, signaling the end of our journey above the ice.


	22. Chapter 21: Above the Ice

As soon as we return to the world above the ice, we are led to where the herd lives. It is a cave in the middle of a clearing sheltered by rocks. I get a nest together for our kits. Terra and Jamie situate themselves in the cave as well. I turn to Buck. "We should probably go looking for our own cave. We can't just stay here forever. There'd be no privacy, if you get what I mean," I give Buck a copy of his own one-eyed wink.

Buck laughs at my implication. "Ah…yer right 'bout tha'. So, le's ge' goin'!" Together, we head south, maybe a mile away. I'm not sure. I wasn't keeping track of our pawsteps.

It isn't too long before we come across a cozy looking cave, also sheltered by rocks. The next step, for us, is to go inside and see if it's empty. Buck goes first, with me following.

Luckily for us, the cave is deserted. It's dry inside, with a soft dirt floor. The roof above is solid, so at least we won't ever get rained on. Or snowed on. There are also some tunnels that lead into sixteen smaller caves, almost like nest-rooms. There's plenty of room for Terra and Jamie to live with us. This cave is perfect.

I stay to decorate our cave, while Buck goes to get Terra, Jamie, and the kits. By the time they make it here, I have all the nests made. I show Terra and Jamie to their rooms. After that, Buck and I take the kits to the room that I made the nursery. I continue decorating the big chamber with leaves and moss, while Buck watches the kits. I even add a little holly. Soon, the chamber looks perfect.

I move on to our room, the biggest of all sixteen rooms. I decorate it to make it feel more like home, the same way that I decorated the big chamber. Then, I go to the nursery to speak to Buck. The kits are asleep now. Buck is sitting beside them, smiling while watching them breathing softly. "Buck, we should probably make some doors to the nest-rooms," I speak up from my position at the door.

Buck nods his head. "Alright. I'll do 't right now," Buck goes off to find some wood.

When Buck returns, his paws are full of a kind of dark wood. He cuts the wood into the perfect door shape and size. He attaches the first door. He repeats the process for the other fifteen rooms. Then, Buck returns to where I am. "'m done wi' th' doors," Buck smiles.

"Now that our home is perfect, we should celebrate!" I suggest.

"'ow?" Buck is confused.

"You know how," I wink.

"Ah…." Buck smiles. We head off to our room.

Once we are there, Buck pulls me to him. We start kissing. I wrap my arms around his neck. Buck lowers me to the nest. I moan with pleasure as our lips move. I raise my paw and massage the area behind Buck's right ear. Buck kisses me lower and lower, stopping on my stomach. We begin to move against each other, with me moaning in pleasure. I tickle Buck playfully behind his right ear. Other than twitching his ear, his only other reaction is to increase his activities.

About an hour later, we are laying on our backs, panting from exhaustion. Buck turns to me. "How was 't?" He asks.

"It was perfect," I smile. So, it _was_ perfect. Our home is built. Our family is whole. Everything is perfect.


	23. Chapter 22: The Secret and Confrontation

A week after we leave the Dino world behind in favor of this world, I see my siblings for the first time in a while. I wasn't even looking for them. Buck and I are taking the kits to the playground. That is where we see them. I spot them sitting in the sandbox, looking upset about something. "Solifer! Rose! Kaiden!" I call happily.

They look up. "Icea!" They shout simultaneously. They run up and hug me. "Where have you been?" Solifer asks.

"Yeah! We missed you!" Rose chips in.

"What happened to your eye?" Kaiden asks.

"Alright! One question at a time! So, after I ran away, well…it was freezing outside. I saw a cave in the distance with ice in front of it. I started to run across the ice to get to the cave. However, the ice cracked. I fell through it and landed in a world below our paws. It's a world full of Dinosaurs! That's also how I lost my eye. This giant white Dinosaur named Rudy tore it out," I explain.

"Really? Did it hurt?" Kaiden asks.

"Yeah, it kinda did. Luckily for me, Buck was nearby. Otherwise, I would've died," I continue.

"Who?" Rose asks, referring to Buck.

Buck steps forward. "My name is Buck, short fer Buckminster. 'm yer sistah's mate," Buck answers some unasked questions.

"Ah…so you've found love. How sweet…" Rose smiles with a dreamy look on her face. She was always a fan of romance.

"That's not all. After I met Buck, I asked him to teach me all that he knows. I learned how to fight and survive out in the world. During my training, we fell in love. Not too long after we became mates, we found out that I was pregnant. I had a litter of four kits. We've brought them here. Their names are Juniper, Fallon, Ivy, and Sophie," I introduce them.

"Awww…They're sooo cute!" My siblings start playing with the kits.

I smile a bit, before frowning. "So…what happened to father?" I ask hesitantly.

Solifer flinches slightly. "He's worse, now. After you left, he started to beat us. That's not all. He raped Rose not long ago. Now, she's with kits," Solifer explains.

My mouth drops open. "I didn't think Rose was even old enough to get pregnant!" I gasp.

"Apparently, she is. Father doesn't know about the kits. It's better that way. If he finds out, he'll kill Rose and her unborn kits," Solifer lowers his head.

"Where's father, now?" I ask, growling slightly at the word 'father'.

"He's at home," Solifer answers.

"I want all three of you to come to our home with us. You'll be safe there. Then, I'll deal with father," I tell my siblings.

"Ya mean, we'll deal wi' yer fathah," Buck corrects my earlier words, including himself as backup. I nod my head. Buck and I take the kits and my three siblings to our home.

After my siblings and the kits are situated, Buck and I head towards father's home. We barge through the door without knocking. "Father!" I yell.

"So, you've finally come home, Icea? Ha! You even look more like a freak now, with one less eye!" Father sneers at us.

"I came back. Two eyes or one, it doesn't matter. I will put an end to you!" I shout.

"What makes you think you can?" Father asks mockingly.

"This time, I'm not alone!" I yell.

That's when father notices Buck. Father's glare deepens. He growls. "How dare you! You took a mate when you left! I never said you could, Icea!" Father shouts. He lowers himself to the floor, preparing to lunge at us.

Buck steps forward. "Evah touch Icea, an' ya will regret 't!" Buck growls.

Father's eyes widen at Buck's ferocious appearance. He bares his teeth anyway. "Why do you think you can actually beat me?!" Father scoffs.

"Maybe 'cause I've beaten dinos bigga than ya! An' yes, dinosaurs nevah wen' extinct!" Buck snarls.

"Fine! You two win this time, but I will return." Father growls back. Then, without warning, father smashes through one of the windows and disappears. We make to follow him, but he is already long gone. At least we know that we're safe from him. With those thoughts in mind, we turn around and head back home.


	24. Epilogue

We've been having the time of our lives ever since father left. Solifer, Rose, and Kaiden have moved in with us. Everything is fine, now. They are great uncles and aunt to the kits. Juniper, Fallon, Ivy, and Sophie have just started to talk. Their favorite words are dada, mama, food, and (of course) no. They had already learned how to walk a while ago. That's how we were able to bring them to the playground the day I saw my siblings. They are still a little wobbly, though, so they need practice.

There has been no sign of father after he left. Buck and I followed his track to a hole in the earth, so I can only assume that he fell into the Dino world. I don't think he would've survived long down there. With that said, I don't think we'll have to worry about him ever again.

Terra did as she hoped she would. She met a handsome young weasel and they became mates. She now has some little ones on the way. Jamie is going to be their designated babysitter.

Rose, even though she was raped, is looking forward to the birth of her kits. I'm helping her to prepare for them. As she knows absolutely nothing about being a mother, I'm teaching her all I know. I've even started letting her babysit my kits so she can get some practice in. Rose said herself (referring to Terra's pregnancy) that their kits will be almost like siblings. I can't wait to be an aunt.

Now, life is good. Buck and I are together. The family is complete. We even visit with the rest of the herd, when we're not too busy caring for the kits. Life is perfect. We will no longer have anything to fear.


End file.
